farmers' institutes and extension work. 355 



England to supervise agricultural operations and to give advice to 

 farmers of the county respecting the improvement of their crops 

 and the general betterment of their condition. The report outlines 

 the following method for the organization of these staffs: 



(1) The minimum staff should he made up as follows: 



(a) Agricultural organizer and adviser, who should, as a rule, supervise the agri- 

 cultural and horticultural work done by the county and act as secretary to the agri- 

 cultural education committee or subcommittee. He should be in close touch with 

 the head of any center with which the county is associated. He should (so far as his 

 other duties may permit) give some instruction himself, but as a rule he would require 

 competent instructors to assist him. 



His main functions would be to get into touch with farmers and other agriculturists, 

 and for this purpose to visit local markets and shows and farmers' clubs, as well as 

 individual farms and small holdings. He should also enlist the sympathy and help 

 of agricultural associations. He would discuss and advise agriculturists on such 

 questions as diseases in crops and animals, manures, cropping, insect pests, etc. He 

 would distribute leaflets or pamphlets relating to rural work (such as those published 

 by the board of agriculture), explain them and possibly make them a basis of discus- 

 sion. He would organize and supervise illustrative experiments and demonstration 

 plats. He would organize classes for instruction in farm-labor subjects and prize 

 competitions in connection with such subjects as hedging, ditching, thatching, etc. 



After becoming thoroughly acquainted with the county, he would advise the com- 

 mittee as to the establishment of permanent centers for agricultural instruction, such 

 as farm institutes, winter schools, etc. 



(b) Horticultural instrxictor, who should give courses of instruction at approved 

 centers, carry out demonstrations on approved horticultm"al practice, give advice to 

 small holders, allotment holders, cottagers, and others. He should have special 

 charge of the work connected with school gai'dens and such nature study as may be 

 connected with them. In counties in which horticulture is of special importance it 

 may be desirable that the horticultural instructor should be independent of the 

 agricultural organizer. He should be in touch with any center of horticultural 

 instruction with which the county is associated, and might, by arrangement, give 

 some of the instruction therein. 



(c) In most counties a dairying instructor will also be required, who should conduct 

 a fixed or migratory dairy school and, give advice when required to farmers and others 

 in dairy practice. In many counties separate instructors would be required to give 

 instruction in the different branches of the dairy industry. 



(2) This minimum staff would require to be supplemented by — 



(a) Competent scientific investigators and analysts, who would ordinarily be sup- 

 plied by the center with which the county is associated or from some university or 

 agricultural college. 



(6) Instructors in special branches of industry, e. g., farriery and veterinary hygiene, 

 poultry and bee keeping, cider making, hop growing, and such manual processes as 

 hedging, thatching, sheep shearing, etc. 



These practical instructors would in most cases be regular members of the staff of 

 the larger or combined counties, but in other cases (e. g., manual processes) local 

 experts might more conveniently be employed as required. 



(c) Instructor in forestry, who should be supplied from one of the recognized forestry 

 centers. 



(d) Organizers and instructors in the economics of agriculture, e. g., cooperation 

 and credit banks for occupiers of land, the grading and marketing of produce, insurance 

 of stock, etc. These would ordinarily be required to cover larger areas than counties, 



